Buckle.



E. B. ANDERSON.

BUCKLE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 23, 1909.

Patented. May 17 1910.

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ELIAS B. ANDERSON, OF ROCK FALLS, ILLINOIS.

BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 17, 1910.

Application filed April 23, 1909. Serial No. 491,676.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAS B. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rock Falls, in the county of Whiteside and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in buckles, and the invention has for its object a simple, durable and efficient construction of device of this character which is susceptible ofvbeing advantageously employed in connection with wearing apparel, and which embodies essentially a bail or tail-piece for manipulating I the buckle tongue to admit of the apparel being readily engaged therewith or disengaged therefrom.

A further object of the invention is an improved buckle which is provided with a guard that is slidably connected to the buckle frame and is adapted in operative position to substantially inclose the buckle tongue, the guard being also adapted to engage the bail to prevent the same from being turned to cause the tongues to assume an inoperative position.

WVith these and other objects in view that will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions and arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and then point out the novel features thereof in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a buckle constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section thereof on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the guard detached; Fig. 4: is a plan view of a modified form; and, Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section thereof.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates a buckle frame which consists essentially of two longitudinally disposed substantially parallel side bars 2. A curved bar 3 connects the side bars at one end and is disposed toward the opposite end of the buckle frame and lies in a plane that is angularly related to the plane of the buckle frame, whereby the curved bar constitutes a hook for a purpose to be presently disclosed. At their opposite ends the side bars terminate in eyes 4 in which are journaled corresponding ofi'set terminal loops 5 of a cross bar 6, the cross bar carrying one or more longitudinally extending fabricengaging tongues 7. Rigid with the loops 5 is a U- shaped bail or tail-piece 8 which extends longitudinally and oppositely with respect to the buckle frame and which renders the buckle susceptible of ready manipulation, it being only necessary to swing the bail to cause the fabric-engaging tongues to assume operative or inoperative position. The bail normally lies in the same plane as the buckle frame, in which position the tongues 7 are held in operative position in said plane, as will be observed by reference to Fig. 1. In the present instance the bail, loops and cross bar are all formed from a single length of wire, the ends of which are connected by a sleeve 9, the extremities of the wire being outturned and projecting through the sleeve to constitute the fabricengaging tongues. In order to retain the tongues in an operative position I employ a guard 10 which is interposed between the side bars 2 and is preferably constructed of a strip of sheet metal doubled upon itself at an intermediate point in proximity to the curved bar 3 to constitute spaced members 11 and 12, the members facing toward the cross bar 6. One of the members designated 11, is formed at its side edges with longitudinally disposed tubular flanges 18 that are slidably mounted on the respective side bars of the buckle frame, thereby admitting of the guard being slid longitudinally of the latter to assume the operative position illus trated in Fig. 2, wherein the members embrace and substantially inclose the fabric-engaging tongues. The member 11 is some what longer than the other member so as to project therebeyond, the projecting portion being formed with a hump 14 that is arranged to abut against the cross bar 6 to serve as a stop and maintain the guard against accidentally sliding longitudinally out of operative relation to the tongues. In this position the projecting member 11 overlaps the bail, and inasmuch as the former is wider than the distance between the arms of the latter, the guard engages the bail and prevents it from being swung there past, as might result in the tongues becoming acci dentally disengaged from the fabric.

WVhen occasion demands that the fabric be removed from the tongues it is merely necessary to swing the bail away from the proj ecting end of the member 11, which results in the cross bar 6 being moved away from the latter sufficiently to afford clearance for the hump l4 and thus unlocks the guard to admit of the same being slid longitudinally out of operative relation to the tongues. WVhen the guard has been moved to such inoperative position the projecting portion of the member 11 no longer prevents the bail from being swung over slightly in an opposite direction to cause the tongues to assume inoperative positions in angular relation to the plane of the buckle frame, so that the fabric may be readily engaged therewith or disengaged therefrom.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawing it will be apparent that I have provided an improved buckle which is susceptible of being utilized for various purposes, particularly in connection with wearing apparel. As for example, the hook formed by the curved bar 3 may be caught over the trousers and the tongues engaged with the underclothing to support the same. It will be obvious that the buckle may be also utilized as a hose supporter.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figs. l and 5, in which the guard 10 is shown as composed of a single plate or member that is slidably connected to the side bars of the buckle frame as before described, one end of the guard plate being outwardly deflected or offset, as indicated at 15, and adapted to overlap the buckle tongues to prevent the same from being turned into an inoperative position. The 0pposite end of the guard plate is provided with an outstanding flange 16 which renders the guard capable of being readily shifted manually in respect to the buckle frame.

Among the many advantages residing in my improved buckle, attention is particularly directed to the fact that the guard prevents the buckle from accidentally releasing the fabric; that the buckle may be readily manipulated as desired; that it embodies to a marked degree the characteristics of simplicity, durability and efficiency; and that it consists of comparatively few parts which may be easily and cheaply manufactured and readily assembled.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A buckle comprising a buckle frame, a bail pivotally connected with the frame and provided with a cross bar having a buckle tongue, a guard slidably connected to the buckle frame and movable longitudinally thereof into operative relation to the buckle tongue to hold the same against turning movement.

2. A buckle comprising a buckle frame embodying side bars, a cross bar disposed transversely of the frame and provided with an outstanding buckle tongue, a bail connected with the cross bar for tilting the buckle tongue and a guard interposed between the side bars and doubled upon itself to constitute spaced members facing the cross bar, one of the members being slidably connected to the side bars to admit of the guard being moved longitudinally of the frame to embrace the buckle tongue.

3. A buckle comprising a buckle frame, a cross bar carried by the frame and provided with an outstanding buckle tongue, a guard slidably connected to the buckle frame and movable longitudinally thereof to embrace the buckle tongue, and means carried by the guard for engaging the cross bar to hold the guard against sliding movement.

4. A buckle comprising a buckle frame, a cross bar carried by the frame and provided with an outstanding buckle tongue, and a guard slidably connected to the buckle frame and movable longitudinally thereof to embrace the buckle tongue, the guard being formed with a hump adapted to engage the cross bar to hold the guard against sliding into an inoperative position.

5. A buckle comprising a frame, a bail pivotally connected with the frame and provided with a tongue, and a guard slidably mounted on the frame and movable to operative position over the tongue.

6. A buckle comprising a frame, a bail pivotally connected at one end of the frame and provided with a tongue, and a guard slidably mounted on the frame and formed with spaced members, one of which is movable to operative position over the tongue and the other to operative position in engagement with the bail.

7. A buckle comprising a frame, a bail pivotally connected with the frame and provided with a tongue, and a longitudinally movable guard including spaced members of different lengths, the short member being movable to operative position over the tongue, and the long member to operative position in engagement with the bail.

8. A buckle comprising a frame, a bail adapted to engage the cross bar for limiting 1o pivotally connected with the frame and prothe longitudinal movement of said guard.

vided with a cross bar having a tongue eX- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature tending laterally therefrom, and a guard in presence of two witnesses. 5 slidably mounted on the frame and including ELIAS B ANDERSON [L s 1 spaced members movable to operative position over the tongue and in engagement with Witnesses:

the bail, one of the members of the guard be- CHARLES C. GRADY, ing provided with a projecting portion 1 HARLAN L. BREWER. 

